Quote: Mike Collins, Apollo 11 Command Module pilot

Q. Turning to your flight, what is your strongest memory of Apollo 11?

A. Looking back at Earth from a great distance.

“I really believe that if the political leaders of the world could see
their planet from a distance of 100,000 miles their outlook could be
fundamentally changed. That all-important border would be invisible,
that noisy argument silenced. The tiny globe would continue to turn,
serenely ignoring its subdivisions, presenting a unified façade that
would cry out for unified understanding, for homogeneous treatment.
The earth must become as it appears: blue and white, not capitalist or
Communist; blue and white, not rich or poor; blue and white, not
envious or envied. Small, shiny, serene, blue and white, FRAGILE.”

Q. That was 40 years ago. Would it look the same today?

A. Yes, from the moon, but appearances can be deceiving. It’s
certainly not serene, but definitely fragile, and growing more so.
When we flew to the moon, our population was 3 billion; today it has
more than doubled and is headed for 8 billion, the experts say. I do
not think this growth is sustainable or healthy. The loss of habitat,
the trashing of oceans, the accumulation of waste products – this is
no way to treat a planet.

– Mike Collins, Apollo 11 Command Module pilot.